The present invention relates to a multipurpose lighting device, wherein the diffusion direction of the light may be adjusted by the user as required. Though specific reference is made in the following description to a lighting device defined by a standard lamp, the invention is, obviously, in no way to be inferred as being limited to this particular application.
Standard lamps, both table-top and floor types, pose the problem of achieving the best light diffusion in different situations. For example, a standard lamp may be used to illuminate a room with diffused, normally indirect, light by directing the light beam towards the ceiling; or to illuminate the area beneath the lamp (especially in the case of floor lamps) by directing the beam downwards; or to mainly illuminate areas around the lamp by directing the beam obliquely.
All these requirements are currently met by quartz-iodine lamps with adjustable reflectors, but which do not always go with the type of decor involved. In particular, decidedly xe2x80x9cclassicxe2x80x9d furnishing schemes call for lamps with wide shades which, if applied to lamps with adjustable reflectors, rule out any possibility of obtaining different lighting effects.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problem by providing a lighting devicexe2x80x94particularly, though not exclusively, a standard lampxe2x80x94which is cheap and easy to produce, is highly effective, and permits the use of lamp-shades while at the same time enabling adjustment of the predominant lighting direction of the device.
According to the present invention, there is provided a lighting device, in particular a standard lamp, comprising a shade; lamp-holder means located inside the shade; a supporting member supporting said lamp-holder means and the shade; and supporting means for supporting the supporting member; characterized in that, in combination: the supporting member is defined by an upright having a free first end and a second end, opposite the first, connected to the supporting means; the shade has a through opening defined by opposite facing lateral walls, and through which the upright is inserted; and the lamp-holder means include a sleeve to which the shade is connected integrally, and which is fitted to said first end of the upright so as to rotate about an axis of rotation perpendicular to said facing lateral walls of the opening in the shade, and so that the shade may selectively assume a number of predetermined positions forming different angles with the upright.
As such, the various lighting requirements of a given room area can be met by one device in one location, by simply rotating the shade-sleeve assembly manually, and without forgoing a shade, which may be of any size or design, and may be defined by a diffusing screen made of any material: glass, cloth, plastic, etc.